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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three people have been arrested and charged with fraud, money laundering and theft after they allegedly stole more than R10-million from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Tuesday, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) arrested a 35-year-old former post office teller and her 50-year-old husband at their home in Lesseyton, Eastern Cape. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1410248\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1444.jpg\" alt=\"R10m sassa theft\" width=\"720\" height=\"360\" /> Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela speaks to the media in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hawks then went to Cofimvaba where they arrested a 40-year-old former police officer, who is married to a former post office manager.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the former manager and former teller were working at the post office from where the money was stolen, but the former manager was not arrested.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three arrested suspects will appear at the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday.</span>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Visit <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage\"><em>Daily Maverick's</em> home page</a> for more news, analysis and investigations</strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said the former teller and her husband were alleged to have been involved in siphoning the funds from the post office from 2020 to 2021.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The incident was reported to the Hawks in June 2021 and it took the Hawks more than a year to investigate and arrest the suspects. These are funds that were meant to be paid to the beneficiaries of Sassa.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mgolodela said a whistle-blower reported that Sassa money was being siphoned by the post office officials.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1410250\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1452.jpg\" alt=\"R10m sassa theft\" width=\"720\" height=\"395\" /> Hawks officials escort two suspects to a vehicle in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Upon investigation, it dawned that there were omissions of claims that were made deliberately, there was inflation of claims, there were creations of ghost beneficiaries.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said the Hawks found that more than R10-million was involved.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“In July last year, there was a search and seizure that was executed at the suspects’ homes. The suspects were found to be in possession of more than R139,000 which, when added to the money that was traced during the investigation, amounted to more than R10-million,” said Mgolodela. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three people have been arrested and charged with fraud, money laundering and theft after they allegedly stole more than R10-million from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Tuesday, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) arrested a 35-year-old former post office teller and her 50-year-old husband at their home in Lesseyton, Eastern Cape. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1410248\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1410248\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1444.jpg\" alt=\"R10m sassa theft\" width=\"720\" height=\"360\" /> Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela speaks to the media in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hawks then went to Cofimvaba where they arrested a 40-year-old former police officer, who is married to a former post office manager.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the former manager and former teller were working at the post office from where the money was stolen, but the former manager was not arrested.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three arrested suspects will appear at the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday.</span>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Visit <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage\"><em>Daily Maverick's</em> home page</a> for more news, analysis and investigations</strong>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said the former teller and her husband were alleged to have been involved in siphoning the funds from the post office from 2020 to 2021.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The incident was reported to the Hawks in June 2021 and it took the Hawks more than a year to investigate and arrest the suspects. These are funds that were meant to be paid to the beneficiaries of Sassa.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mgolodela said a whistle-blower reported that Sassa money was being siphoned by the post office officials.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1410250\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1410250\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1452.jpg\" alt=\"R10m sassa theft\" width=\"720\" height=\"395\" /> Hawks officials escort two suspects to a vehicle in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Upon investigation, it dawned that there were omissions of claims that were made deliberately, there was inflation of claims, there were creations of ghost beneficiaries.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She said the Hawks found that more than R10-million was involved.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“In July last year, there was a search and seizure that was executed at the suspects’ homes. The suspects were found to be in possession of more than R139,000 which, when added to the money that was traced during the investigation, amounted to more than R10-million,” said Mgolodela. </span><b>DM</b>",
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Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Yolisa Mgolodela speaks to the media in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)
Hawks officials escort two suspects to a vehicle in Lesseyton. (Photo: Supplied)